[annalex]

"Before he moved to California, Mr. Mamet had never met a self-described conservative or read one's writings. "

... and then see what happened.

For those who don't know, David Mamet is a talented and accomplished playwrite and film director. Among his works are Glengarry Glen Ross, Wag the Dog, The Spanish Prisoner, and others you'll probably recognize.

[Hildy]

Hollywood liberals—his former crowd—once embraced Communism “because they hadn't invented Pilates yet.”

My new tagline!!!

[Myrddin]

Some funny lines in those excerpts. Good stuff to put on the back
cover side of the book as a teaser.

[golux]

So the author maintains that:

1) Mamet believes that Prager, Medved, and Hewitt presently comprise “good radio” for a guy who lives in LA. (I guess he streams his amateur radio?)

2) Orson had no idea about the 180 Rule prior to Citizen Kane.

Both of these assertions are completely unbelievable.

[LS]

Funny, I’m reading this book right now. A little strange in its pace, but I guess that’s to be expected from a playwrite.

[Huskrrrr]

An epiphany of the same magnitude as that experienced by P.J. O'Rourke. My favorite line from Glengarry Glen Ross;

“Put down that coffee! Coffee is for closers!”

[okie01]

David Mamet is a talented and accomplished playwrite and film director.

I couldn't help it. I've always admired David Mamet's work.

He is perhaps the most accomplished and versatile in his field(s) since Orson Welles.

And I am so gratified that he literally thought his way through all of this -- even as he was surrounded and adored by the liberal glitterati.

Thanks for posting.

[Noumenon]

My wife used to work in film production, and did costumes and makeup for Mamet's House of Games. She pointed out that one of his main recurring themes centered around the con - or how we use the con to weasel, cheat and defraud one another - and what that does to our character, our interpersonal relations and our worldview. So in some ways it's not surprising that Mamet would finally experience an epiphany regarding the biggest con, the greatest falsification of truth in modernity - communism, socialism and its bastard idiot offspring, modern American liberalism.

Consider this idea - what often lies at the root of the con is the love of the exercise of power. With all that implies. It stops being about money, about greed after a while.

[rbg81]

I’m a big fan of Mamet’s work, especially Glengarry Glen Ross and Oleanna. If you watch those films, its really hard to believe that the person who wrote them was ever a liberal. He probably had conservative leanings his whole life, but didn’t really know it. Given this, Mamet’s “conversion” is no surprise.

[max americana]

Don’t forget Spartan with Val Kilmer.

That was the turning point for him after he befriended the founder of DELTA FORCE and Val Kilmer’s character was based on him.

After that, he co-produced THE UNIT on CBS. A buddy of mine here in L.A. who worked on the Unit on the 2nd unit/camera spoke to him numerous times and he’s NOT an idiot.

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

“For those who don’t know, David Mamet is a talented and accomplished playwrite and film director.”

Indeed! However — and this is a nitpicky point — the word is actually “playwright.” This implies that a play is wrought, made, or constructed. However, the act of writing a play is still “playwriting.”

[LA Conservative]

“Most were given to him by his rabbi in L.A., Mordecai Finley.”

Hey, that’s me! Just kidding. The funny part is that Rabbi Finley was my favorite Rabbi while I attended the largest, Reform (mega-liberal, entertainment industry) synagogue in Los Angeles.

There are a few politically conservative Rabbis in this town whose identities will be kept secret to protect their livelihood.

(Yes, Finley is an Irish name, and he had an Irish shock of red hair, when I knew him 17 years ago.)

I too am looking forward to the book.

[lowbridge]

Related thread: Converting Mamet

[miss marmelstein]

Anyone who saw “Oleanna” or his latest, the hilarious play “November” starring Nathan Lane, knew that this man was NO LIBERAL. He’s been conservative for years - mostly because of Israel but, now, maybe because of American cultural values. Good playwright!

[Darren McCarty]

The New Republic's Jonathan Chait writes that the story is a familiar, Zionist one: "An increasingly religious Jew with strong loyalty to Israel, he became aware of a tension between the illiberal nationalism of his right-wing views on the Middle East and the liberalism of his views on everything else, and resolved the tension by abandoning the latter." Mr. Mamet calls this a "crock of s—."

Jonathan Shite is one of the stupidest liberal guilt yuppies writers I've ever had the misfortune to read.

[EveningStar]

ping